In a bid to become the world’s premiere tourist destination, Dubai has taken deliberate steps to develop every aspect of the city’s tourism sector.  Certainly, Dubai now is more than a city of numerous luxury hotels, deluxe beaches, air-conditioned shopping malls, gold souks, and a host for irresistible shopping festivals.  Surely, Dubai has more to offer to its visitors. 

A different kind of attraction in Dubai is adventure tourism.  As the city had intensively developed its infrastructure for adventure tourism, adventure sports lovers would not find Dubai lacking in its offer of adventure activities.  Supported by the government’s enthusiasm, a well-suited climate, and up to date facilities, organizing any adventure sport activity is no great hurdle.

The various adventure sport activities in Dubai consists of desert safaris, dune bashing, sand storming, wadi bashing, sand skiing, mountain biking, go carting,  water surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, sailing, crab hunting, and sky jumping.  Two of its most popular land-based adventure sport activities are desert safaris and the associated activities with it such as dune bashing, camel safari, sand skiing, and wadi bashing.

Desert Safaris

A visit to this remarkable cosmopolitan in the desert would not be complete without a trip to the land that surrounds it.  Desert safaris resent Dubai visitors a real taste of the Arabian Desert heartland.  There are various arrangements offered by private tours for such journeys into the desert.  Although each arrangement may differ with the activities involved, almost all desert safaris contain a set of similar activities.

They usually start with a challenging roller coaster drive on sand in a sturdy 4x4 vehicle driven by an experienced driver.  After arriving to the desert, visitors often change to camel riding to get to any specific destination specified in the tour.  A visit to a Bedouin village for a look at traditional desert life may be arranged.  After which, any of the adventure sport activities, such as dune bashing, sand skiing, or wadi bashing, could be set-up for the participants to enjoy.  As night draws near, the participants are treated to a traditional desert feast, wherein they are often served with traditional Arabian barbecues served under a starlit sky in the camp.  Entertainment is provided by lively music, belly dancing, or a puff with a hookah or a Hubble-bubble pipe.

Some packages often arranged for desert safaris include:

• Morning Desert Safari

As the name implies, this package is done in the morning and is ideally suited for people who don’t have their evenings available.  This is also most ideal to people who are more interested in adventure sports than relaxing in the camps.

• Evening Desert Safari

This is the most popular package to tourists.  It usually consists of a drive to the desert with the beautiful Arabian sunset at the backdrop, camel safari and a few other adventure sports, a traditional Arabian barbecue dinner in the camp, belly dancing, and smoking of shisha or the world-famous water pipe.

• Overnight Desert Safari

This is an extension of the Evening Desert Safari, where in the participants are left to spend the night in the desert under the stars.

Dinner in the Desert

This is ideal for people who are less interested in dune bashing, but would not like to miss on a traditional Arabian barbecue dinner in the camp.  This package also includes camel rides, entertainment with lively music, belly dancing, and smoking of shisha.

Dune Bashing

One of the most exciting and adrenaline-filled adventure sports in Dubai is dune bashing or desert driving.   It involves driving 4WD vehicles, motorbikes, or quad bikes over towering sand dunes, while simultaneously doing amazing stunts like sliding down a high sand dune, jumping into the air, or just cruising on the sand in high speeds. 

Most desert safari tours include dune bashing as one of the highlights of their tours.  Driving over the dunes is most certainly left to an experienced off road driver as driving on sand requires different skills than driving on the road.  It must be noted that dune bashing should never be done with a regular car or without the company of someone well experienced with the sport.  As dune bashing locations are often off the  road and quite rigorous, some useful equipment that should be carried during such activities include strong tow ropes, shovels, a tool kit, a car jack, pressure gauge, pump or compressor, planks of wood or matting, a spare tire, extra petrol, and water for the car and the passengers.  Dune bashing arranged by tour companies offers its clients this uniquely exciting adventure with the convenience of simply getting in a 4WD under the skillful hands of an experienced driver.

Wadi Bashing

Wadi bashing is considered more straightforward than dune bashing.  Wadis are usually dried river beds that are carved through rocky valleys by rushing floodwaters, following the flow of seasonal streams.  It involves riding a 4WD and skills in driving over hills and river crossings.  It is always advisable to go off road with a company or with at least two vehicles in anticipation of any unforeseeable mishap.  The period between the months of April to October is actually the ideal time for wadi bashing in Dubai. 

Sand Skiing

This adventure sport will certainly appeal to anyone who has a taste for the unusual and an enthusiasm for high speed sports.  As the name would imply, sand skiing involves skiing down the high desert dunes in Dubai.  Special skis or simply snow boards are often used for this purpose and the dunes located in the interior of the desert are usually chosen as slopes.  Desert safari tours usually include this in their list of activities.  Partaking in a pre-organized tour provides the convenience of traveling to the location and access to equipment needed for the activity.  The most ideal areas for sand skiing in Dubai include the large dune on the road between Dubai and Hatta, and the one located near the Liwa oasis.

Camel Safari

The ships of Arabia, camel rides are almost always part of desert tours in Dubai.  Some tours would have the participants ride a camel as the major mean for transportation, while other tours provide quite limited time.  Some tours also arrange for camel riding lessons in Bedouin villages.

With all these unique and distinctively Arabian activities lined up in desert safari tours, it is not surprising that this type of adventure sport is quickly gaining much popularity among visitors in Dubai.  Anyone who would engage in such activity would surely experience both the extreme ends of Dubai’s attractions—a first-hand integration to the Arabian heritage and the fast-paced adventure in the desert.